Posts Tagged ‘Adolescent on the autism spectrum’

Generally for the majority of us adolescence is a stressful and confusing time in our lives. This is also true for adolescents with autism.

The adolescent youth will need direct help dealing with puberty and the transition to adulthood. Parents of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder report while some behaviors improve during the teenage age years, some get worse.

Many parents of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder report that they have noticed an increase in autistic aggressive behaviors. It has been suggested by experts in adolescent autism that this may be due to an increase in hormonal levels and the autistic aggressive behaviors are used as a way to relieve much of the confusion and stress the youth with autism feels.

During the teenage years typically developing young people will generally become more socially active. During this period of our lives we become more aware of our own sexuality, our popularity and the way we look and “fit in” with our peer group.

However for the adolescent youth these years can lead to social awkwardness, isolation, confusion and anxieties even bullying in some cases. A behavior that during their childhood years was accepted by their peers may now be ridiculed leaving the youth with autism confused.

For the parents of an Adolescent on the autism spectrum this time can be extremely stressful, with feelings of desperation and helplessness. Many parents of adolescents with autism spectrum report that the use visual supports for autism like autism social stories can make a huge improvement.

Autism social stories are visual supports for autism that are used to teach social, communication, interaction, imagination and positive behaviors to those individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

During this confusing time of life parents of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder find autism social stories can play a big part in the youths life helping them learn socially acceptable behaviors and skills which can help the teen “fit in” socially and become more comfortable with their own changing body and life style.

Autism social stories can help with autistic aggressive behaviors by visually showing and explaining in a step by step plan the what, why, where and when of the situation showing the youth with autism spectrum disorder how to cope, what is happening, and what they should expect from others as well as what others are going to expect from them.

Giving the youth with autism spectrum disorder a clear concise description with positive suggestion and social cues helping them cope with any skill or behavior they are struggling to master. Like for example puberty.